By P.T. Bopanna
It is heartening to note that a Kodavathi
(Coorg woman) is winning accolades for working towards green causes in the Nilgiris
in Tamil Nadu.
Somayanda Samantha Iyanna (in picture) is part
of “Clean Coonoor” initiative which promotes environment awareness in the
community.
Samantha, along with a few like-minded people who saw their beloved Nilgiris being trashed by the numerous tourists visiting the region, felt they could make a difference. The group decided to concentrate on just Coonoor, instead of spreading their wings across the Nilgiris.
Clean Coonoor has done numerous cleanups, be it
the roads, storm water drains, rivers, forests, waterfalls, railway station or
tourist attractions. They also have a solid waste management unit and a recycling
unit where waste is segregated into wet and dry. Byproducts like compost and
oil to run machines are generated. Waste collection centers have been set up
around town where people can drop off waste. They also run garbage pickup
services along with the municipality’s help. They have been instrumental in
banning plastic in the Nilgiris. They have in the process given employment to
many in Coonoor.
Several corporates are now coming forward to help fund the organisation which is a NGO. Clean Coonoor also runs cleanup drives with students and young adults, trying to instill the values they would like to pass on.
Samantha is passionate about planting native
trees and trying to get back the marshy grasslands the Nilgiris was once famous
for. The ecosystem of the Western Ghats was once abundant with native medicinal
plants and a very unique landscape.
Their waste management unit boasts of a
stunning garden which won them awards at the annual Flower Show.
During the pandemic, the NGO played a big part
in the management of the crisis and the Nilgiris was a case study in Tamil Nadu
for having the lowest number of cases and being the best managed.
Samatha is also on the board of Kinder Trust
that works with children with special needs. Being a butterfly enthusiast, she
started a Butterfly Park in Coonoor. Murals have been done all over Coonoor
depicting the history of the Nilgiris and of the flora and fauna of the area
beautifying the town.
Awards and recognition have come her way, including
the Green Champion Award from the Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu, followed by the “Sushma Swaraj Award” felicitating
Women Achievers for her valuable contribution and recognition in outstanding
Public Service.
For more details on the work carried out by Clean
Coonoor, log on to www.cleancoonoor.org
There are several green enthusiasts in Kodagu.
Samantha should share her experience with the local Kodagu community, starting
from Chettali, the native place of her grand-parents.
She could even tie-up with the Clean Coorg
Initiative which has been active in championing the cause of green and clean
Kodagu.
From experience I can say most of these
initiatives in Kodagu lose their steam over a period of time, maybe because
they fail to get cooperation from the elected bodies.
